Characterization of Rad51 Paralogs, Rad51C and Xrcc2 in Arabidopsis

Abstract

Homologous recombination is an essential process for the maintenance and variability of the genome. Rad51 play a central role in homologous recombination by carrying out the pairing of homologous DNA molecules and initiating the strand exchange reaction. In human, five members of Rad51 family (Rad51 paralogs; Rad51B, Rad51C, Rad51D, Xrcc2, Xrcc3) have been isolated. These proteins form a functional complex and interact with Rad51.
To better understanding homologous recombination in higher plants, we have characterized Rad51 paralogs using Yeast two-hybrid system and RT-PCR analysis in Arabidopsis. In this study, we have characterized T-DNA or Ds transposon knockout mutants of Rad51 paralogous genes (AtRAD51C and AtXRCC2) in Arabidopsis.